Page 78 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Chicago

76  CHIC A GO AREA B Y AREA

d Chicago History on the city, it interprets Chicago
Museum as a dynamic hub of commerce,
industry, and culture that
1601 N Clark St. Map 1 C1. Tel (312)
642-4600. @ 11, 22, 36, 72, 151, 156. shaped modern America. A
Open 9:30am–4:30pm Mon–Sat, centerpiece is Chicago’s first “L”
noon–5pm Sun. Closed Jan 1, car, which transported riders to
Thanksgiving, Dec 25. & (free Mon, the 1893 World’s Columbian
children under 12 free) 7 8 (call for Exposition. As the title suggests,
times). = - h Concerts, lectures. its galleries focus on Chicago
∑ chicagohistory.org first as a crossroads of
commerce and industry, from
Founded in 1856, the Chicago fur to meatpacking. It also
History Museum, formerly portrays Chicago as a city in
known as the Chicago Historical crisis, from the fire of 1871
Society, is the city’s oldest The original, Neo-Georgian entrance to the to the Democratic National
cultural institution. A major History Museum Convention of 1968, and as
museum and research center, a home for many generations
it boasts more than 22 million Philadelphia on July 4, 1776). of every race, ethnicity, and
objects, images, and documents As well, there is a rare copy class; as a breeding ground
relating to the history of of the American Constitution for such innovations as
Chicago and Illinois. first printed in a Philadelphia skyscrapers, the Prairie School,
Permanent exhibits, newspaper, alongside the Bill of Marshall Field’s, Wrigley gum,
supplemented with temporary Rights drafted in 1789. Abraham and Weber grills; and finally,
displays, trace the early recorded Lincoln’s deathbed is also on as a cultural hub, offering
history of the Chicago area, display. The Chicago History baseball to jazz, blues, and
beginning with the expeditions Museum also has a Research classical music.
of 17th-century French Center library, which is open
explorers such as Father for public research.
Jacques Marquette. Along with the fascinating
Among the highlights of exhibits, the building itself is
the collection are the Chicago noteworthy, as it presents two
history dioramas on the first dramatic faces to the world. The
floor. Behind glass in a darkened original Neo-Georgian structure,
room, eight miniature scenes designed by architects Graham,
show Chicago’s rapid growth in Anderson, Probst and White in
the 18th and 19th centuries. 1932, is best appreciated from
The dioramas illustrate great Lincoln Park. The 1988 addition
events, such as the Great Fire faces North Clark Street with a
of 1871 and the 1893 World’s three-story, glass-and-steel
Columbian Exposition, as well as atrium entrance. The most
historic scenes, such as bustling dramatic feature is the curving
LaSalle Street in the mid-1860s. glass section at the south end.
American-history buffs In 2006, the museum
shouldn’t miss the American completed extensive renovations
Wing, on the second floor, and celebrated its 150th
which features 1 of only anniversary with a permanent
23 surviving copies of the exhibit entitled “Chicago: 1550 North State Parkway, once the
Declaration of Independence Crossroads of America.” epitome of Gold Coast luxury
(the version printed in Offering a fresh perspective
f 1550 North State
Parkway
Map 1 C1. q Clark/Division.
Closed to public.
When it opened in 1912,
this apartment building
overlooking Lincoln Park
epitomized the luxury of
the Gold Coast. Designed
by Marshall and Fox (architects
of the Drake Hotel, see p66),
the 12-story Beaux-Arts
(see p29) structure is faced
Depiction of the 1871 Great Fire from the museum’s excellent collection with white terra-cotta.

076-077_EW_Chicago.indd 76 24/08/2016 12:11
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm